The shiny hood ornament depicting Shohei Ohtani can sometimes distract from the fact that while the car is luxurious, it might not be all it seems.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been that elite team that has been in the shop more often than it should have, but has still advanced to the World Series. They will need a series of elements to work in their favor to win the franchise’s first title since 2020 and the first in a full season since 1988.
The Dodgers were the best team in baseball in the regular season with a record of 98-64, four games better than the Yankees, who had a record of 94-68. In the three games the teams played against each other in New York in June, the Dodgers won two and outscored the Yankees 17-10.
However, that early-season Dodgers team had a full roster of starters. This one has three: Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler. They have also been covering the games with their well-documented bullpen games.
While the bullpen’s efforts have provided two postseason wins in three tries, including an elimination game win in the NLDS and the deciding game of the NLCS, that could be where the Dodgers are most vulnerable.
Getting three relievers in sync in a game is difficult enough, much less the eight they used in Game 4 of the National League Division Series and the seven they took the mound in Game 6 of the ALCS. National League. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ bullpen management has been stellar, and it will have to continue that way against the high-octane Yankees.
To their credit, the Dodgers have kept their relievers from taking positions, not only from the coaching staff, but also from the pitchers. Right-hander Michael Kopech has pitched from the first to the third, fifth and eighth innings in the postseason.
“In my opinion, this is the best team ever built, and to be able to contribute to a team like that really warms my heart,” said Kopech, who arrived in late July from the historically bad Chicago White Sox.
On offense, the Dodgers face a similar dilemma. Ohtani and Mookie Betts have shined in the postseason, but each has also had their problems.
Ohtani was 0-for-22 at one point when he was at the plate without a runner on base, then hit a home run to lead off Game 4 against the Mets.
Betts was 0-for-22 in any scenario before hitting a home run in Game 3 of the NLDS.
However, offense remains a concern, even after scoring 46 runs in six NLCS games for an average of 7.7 per game. It was Tommy Edman who led the team with 11 RBI in the National League Championship Series, while Kiké Hernández has been much better than his regular season production with a .303 batting average. .863 OPS, two home runs and five RBIs in nine playoff games (eight starts).
Despite their big hits in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith have struggled. And Freddie Freeman has had one hit in his last 15 at-bats as he limps with a sprained ankle. The Dodgers are unlikely to overcome the Yankees without Freeman’s usual production and stellar defensive play at first base.
But the Dodgers say they got through the Division Series and the National League Championship Series with unity and love. Really. And they hope that the theme of harmony continues to bring success.
“When you have 13, 14, 15 guys in that dugout, when they’re all hanging on every pitch, hanging on every swing with you in the batter’s box and you can hear them and you can feel them, that makes a big difference,” Max Muncy said. .
In the end, the Dodgers do have Ohtani at the plate up to five times per game. After a regular season with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases, he has posted a .286 batting average, a .934 OPS, three home runs and 10 RBIs so far in his first postseason.
“Just to be able to play in this type of setting with the team effort, and all the games that were really difficult, I’m happy that we’re at this stage now,” Ohtani said.
